Pipeline interchange

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11022986-B2
Application number	US-201916391817-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 23, 2019
Priority date	May 7, 2018
Publication date	Jun 1, 2021
Grant date	Jun 1, 2021

Abstract

The present embodiment describes a pipeline interchange, wherein the pipeline interchange has a refined petroleum product flowing through an upstream pipeline. The pipeline interchange can also have an automated slipstream analyzer connected to the upstream pipeline comprising an inlet, a return and an analyzer. In this embodiment, the automated slipstream analyzer is used to collect a sample, analyze the sample, generate data from the sample and return the sample of the refined petroleum product flowing through the upstream pipeline. The pipeline interchange can also have an automatic splitter, downstream of the automated slipstream analyzer, capable of receiving and interpreting the data from the automated slipstream analyzer and directing the refined petroleum product into at least three different downstream pipelines, wherein at least one of the downstream pipelines is an intermix pipeline.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A pipeline interchange comprising:
a refined petroleum product flowing through an upstream pipeline;
an automated slipstream analyzer connected to the upstream pipeline comprising an inlet, a return and an analyzer, wherein the automated slipstream analyzer is used to collect a sample, analyze the sample, generate data from the sample and return the sample of the refined petroleum product flowing through the upstream pipeline, and wherein the analyzer is capable of analyzing different chemical characteristics of the refined petroleum product;
an automatic splitter downstream of the automated slipstream analyzer, capable of receiving and interpreting the data from the automated slipstream analyzer and directing the refined petroleum product into at least three different downstream pipelines, wherein at least one of the downstream pipelines is an intermix pipeline and wherein each of the at least three downstream pipelines has a valve.

2. The pipeline interchange of claim 1 , wherein the at least three different downstream pipelines are connected to pipeline storage tanks.

3. The pipeline interchange of claim 1 , wherein the intermix pipeline is connected to an intermix storage tank.

4. The pipeline interchange of claim 1 , wherein the refined petroleum products are selected from the group consisting of: gasolines, diesel fuels, jet fuels, naphtha, marine gas oils and liquefied petroleum gasses.

5. The pipeline interchange of claim 1 , wherein the upstream pipeline can range from 4 inches in diameter to 48 inches in diameter.

6. The pipeline interchange of claim 1 , wherein the refined petroleum product is liquid.

7. The pipeline interchange of claim 1 , wherein the analyzer is an optical analyzer.

8. The pipeline interchange of claim 1 , wherein the analyzer is an infrared analyzer or a near-infrared analyzer.

9. The pipeline interchange of claim 1 , wherein the automated slipstream analyzer continuously analyzes the refined petroleum product.

10. The pipeline interchange of claim 1 , wherein the automated slipstream analyzer does not modify the refined petroleum product.

11. The pipeline interchange of claim 1 , wherein the automated slipstream analyzer operates in line with the upstream pipeline.

12. The pipeline interchange of claim 1 , wherein the automated slipstream analyzer operates as a sample loop adjacent to the upstream pipeline.

13. The pipeline interchange of claim 1 , wherein the splitter is from 1 meter to 500 meters downstream of the automated slipstream analyzer.

14. The pipeline interchange of claim 1 , wherein the flow of refined product is not decreased when flowing through the pipeline interchange.

15. The pipeline interchange of claim 1 , wherein the pipeline interchange operates within a refinery or a terminal.

16. The pipeline interchange of claim 1 , wherein the pipeline interchange operates without a hydrometer.

17. A pipeline interchange comprising:
a refined petroleum product flowing through an upstream pipeline, wherein the refined petroleum product comprises: gasoline, diesel and an intermix of gasoline and diesel;
an automated slipstream analyzer operating simultaneously with the upstream pipeline comprising an inlet, a return and an analyzer, wherein the automated slipstream analyzer is used to continuously collect samples, continuously analyze samples, continuously generate data from the samples and continuously return the sample of the refined petroleum product flowing through the upstream pipeline and wherein the automated slipstream analyzer is an infrared analyzer or a near infrared analyzer, and wherein the analyzer is capable of analyzing different chemical characteristics of the refined petroleum product;
an automatic splitter, downstream of the automated slipstream analyzer, capable of receiving and interpreting the data from the automated slipstream analyzer and directing the refined petroleum product into a gasoline pipeline, a diesel pipeline and an intermix pipeline and wherein each of the gasoline pipeline, the diesel pipeline and the intermix pipeline has a valve.

Assignees

• Phillips 66 Co

Inventors

• Rady Paul

Classifications

• Y10T137/2509

  By optical or chemical property · CPC title

• G01N33/28 Primary

  Oils {, i.e. hydrocarbon liquids} (edible oils or edible fats G01N33/03) · CPC title

• F17D3/01

  for controlling, signalling, or supervising the conveyance of a product · CPC title

• Y10T137/87877

  Single inlet with multiple distinctly valved outlets · CPC title

• G05D7/0652 Primary

  the plurality of throttling means being arranged in parallel · CPC title